Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-04-29
A CHOICE OF ROPE OR RIFLE.

Fred Welcome Must Pay the Penalty
of Murder Done seven Years Ago.
Four times in the last seven wears
Fred Welcome has been found guilty of
murder in this territory and sentenced
to death. writes Salt Lake correspond
ent of The New York San. Three times
the United States supreme court has re-
yersed the finding of the court below
because of errors in the proceedings,
but on the fourth appeal the judgment
was affirmed. Welcome must now pre-
pare for the decision whether he will
accept death by the rope or BY the rifle,
a choice which Utah gives to condemn
ed murderers. 1t is said that he will
choose the rifle.
In 1880 Welcome, then not mere than
81 years of age. was roaming through
the country with companion who has
not yet been apprehended, when. in the
yacinity of Park City. they came upon
another young man named Oliver Tur-
ner. Turner had a good team and he
was liberally supplied with money.
WoiCobto anu MS Coiiipdu]OH dgIccu 10
kill him and appropriate his effects.
Following Turner out upon the plans
they shot him dead, and then dragged
his body into Echo canyon, where they
attempted to conceal it under pile OF
rocks. As soon as this part of the job
was finished the men divided the money,
81, 200 in all. and Welcome, with his
share and the horses, went to Green
River. Wyoming, where he sold the
team. After remaining there for q
time he proceeded to Cheyenne. where
he attracted the attention of the clerk
in the hotel at which he was stopping
by reason of his peculiar conduct. He
appeared TO be at times deranged. talk
eli to himself necessarily, started when
spoken to, and almost collapsed if
touched jocularly upon the sholder. AT
night he was given to sleep-walking.
and on several occasions he aroused
the house by his unearthly yells and
groans in his dreams. During all this
time nothing had been heard of the
tragedy. but the clerk was prepared
when he did hear of it to believe that
he had the murderer under his roof.
After welcome had been in Cheyenne
several weeks the body of Turner was
discovered and as the father of the
victim was man of wealth he at once
placed the case in the hands of the
Rocky Mountain Detective association.
Having very faint clew to go upon,
tn agency telegraphed to all its repre-
sentatives in the west, the one in Chey-
enne receiving the notification among
the first. He happened in at the hotel
the day following, and explained to
the clerk that he was looking for II
young man. whose description was
then read to him. Although this did
not correspond with the appearance of
Welcome, the clerk said he had IA
guest who he would bet was murder
er, and the detective arrested him.
Strangely enough, Welcomes attitude
then changed as if by magic. He
denied his guilt and has since con-
tinued to do so, although the evidence
against him has been most convincing
During the time that he has been
confined in prison he has changed in
every way, and now looks like an old
man. He has amused himself making
various articles, which have been sold
for his benefit. When he heard that
the supreme court had at length affirm
ed the Judgment against him he said
that he had only S1S left, and that he
guessed he would have to go to work.
Mr.. Turner, the father of his victim,
has spent thousands of dollars in bring
ing him TO the point where he now
utap1s